Stravinsky With The Nonesuch Orchestra

Performing a specially choreographed Apollo and the Muses

Photo by Christine Bradshaw

The Nonesuch Orchestra will be performing two concerts in Chiswick this June. They will be hold a concert specifically designed for children from local prep and primary schools.

Stravinsky's ballet Apollon musagete, will be specially choreographed and danced by local organisation Ballet4life. It is hoped that the children will participate in some dancing and music-making.

On Thursday 21 June 2018, there is an open rehearsal at 10.45am, with a concert at 1.30pm at St Michael & All Angels Church, Bedford Park, W4 1TT.

A programme designed for children but open to all. Tickets cost £5.

This year’s programme centres on Stravinsky’s ballet Apollon musagète, composed in 1927-28. The Greek god Apollo meets with three of the nine Muses (inspirational goddesses of the arts) - Calliope (Muse of epic poetry), Polyhymnia (Muse of sacred song) and Terpsichore (Muse of dance) - and they dance separately and together before Apollo leads them to his home on Mount Parnassus.

The Nonesuch Orchestra, conducted by Dan Shilladay, will perform the whole work. Dancers from local organisation Ballet4life will dance some of the scenes, newly choreographed by Donna Schoenherr.

The performance will be repeated on Saturday 23 June at 7.30pm at St Peter’s Church Acton Green, Southfield Road W4 1BB. The first half of that concert will include the Bach Double Violin Concerto, with soloists Enrico Alvares and Stephanie Waite, and the Mozart Bb Divertimento.

Profits from that concert will go to various charities with local links. Tickets cost £15, £12, £5 and can be purchased from the Bedford Park Festival web site.

The Nonesuch Orchestra is a high standard string orchestra which meets to rehearse on Thursday mornings in Queens Park, London. As well as giving public concerts, it has a wide outreach programme including visiting primary schools, hospitals and the Crisis shelters. One of its main aims is to introduce live classical music to young children, and each year give five or more concert/workshops in primary schools.

June 16, 2018